Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Nice Book for a Common Photography Subject, August 17, 2009
This review is from: Architectural Photography: Composition, Capture, and Digital Image Processing (Paperback)
When we take photographs outdoors, we invariably take pictures of architectural structures, even if they're not the main point of our photographs. It's a common subject especially when we travel. We all do it: taking pictures of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Big Ben in London, and capitol buildings and churches everywhere--lots of churches. Photographing a house, a building, a church, or other structures such as a bridge may seem like a simple task--after all, they don't move or hide from the camera. However, to do it in such a way so that the results are artistic and not just a boring shot of some structure, that takes artistic skills and know-how. In a clean writing style and a meticulous, no-fluff manner one would expect from an architect, Schulz presents this interesting field of photography. He also includes many marvelous photos of structures that he himself has taken.
Chapter Highlights
The book has four extensive chapters. In the first chapter, Schulz presents the history of architectural photography, starting with its roots in other art forms. He gives interesting connections like the works of Bernardo Bellotto from the mid-18th Century who painted precise city scenes in Italy using a device called a 'camera obscura'.
In the second chapter, Schulz discusses photography equipment. While it may be an overdone topic, there are some special aspects to consider when photographing architecture. He assumes the reader has a basic understanding of photography, and focuses on the particulars of equipment as they relate to his field. He talks about wide-angle lenses and shift lenses, and reviews accessories like lens filters. For much higher quality images, he presents arguments for using medium-format and large-format film cameras.
Chapter Three is on shooting techniques and is the heart of the book; its about half of the book. Schulz explains what makes a photograph of a structure art and not just a documentary photo (e.g., factors such as the subject, perspective, camera positioning). He provides suggestions for developing one's skills as an architectural photographer and he discusses related artistic methods. He points out problems with the vertical lines of tall buildings converging, a bending of the image. He gives good suggestions and illustrations of how to solve these problems. He discusses the positioning of the camera for different artistic effects; and the effects of focal length on the results. He also points out how one should consider other objects in a shot: people, vehicles, and landscape.
Within the same chapter, Schulz has a section on shooting interiors. This can be tricky when constrained by small spaces. He has another section on factors related to shooting buildings outside, factors such as weather, time of day, and season. He ends with a section providing creativity tips in this field of photography.
Like all new photography books, this one has a chapter on post processing of digital images with computer software. However, Schulz covers aspects related to his architectural photography. Sure he has text on the basics of digital formats and RAW images, and he discusses cropping as one might expect. But he also extensively explains techniques for the straightening of photos--another method for dealing with converging lines or image distortions due to photographing architecture with ultra-wide angle lenses.
Summary
This is an interesting book and an easy read. It's not for the novice, though. Even if you have no interest in specializing in architectural photography, you may want to get a copy of this book and at least give it a quick read through. You'll be surprised by some of the things you'll learn and when someone asks you to photograph their home or office, you'll have a ready reference to prepare yourself for the shoot. Besides that, it's a pleasure to flip through even for non-photographers. It can make a great book to leave in your waiting-room or on a coffee table at home. Your visitors will enjoy it and it can inspire conversations on photography.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Building Building Images, August 18, 2009
This review is from: Architectural Photography: Composition, Capture, and Digital Image Processing (Paperback)
Architectural photography is an area full of competing factors that affect the picture. Architects want their work reproduced accurately. Photographers want it presented in a photographically artistic manner. Wide angle lenses and telephoto lenses offer different results. Photographing from close to the building emphasizes different elements than photographing from a distance. Author Adrian Schulz recognizes all these countervailing forces and discusses each of them so that the reader can make the choices that will be in keeping with his of her vision.
After a brief introduction, the book first explores the applicable photographic technology, including capture media, cameras, lenses and accessories. In doing so the author seems to have a preference for large format cameras but recognizes that, with the exception of compact cameras, all cameras have a place in architectural photography.
Next the author reviews shooting techniques, where a major problem is perspective distortion, and explains how to deal with problems. He finishes the book with a review of post-processing techniques that will help the photographer overcome problems that could not be dealt with in the field.
The author's writing is straight-forward and clear, easily understandable and lacking in humor. The book reads like a textbook. One thing that it scants is discussion of how to achieve artistic images that go beyond the architect's goal for such photographs. (This certainly is difficult, given the nature of the subject, but my own experience is that, at least to a limited degree, it can be done.)
I had a mixed response to the chapter on post processing, which emphasizes the use of Photoshop. The discussion of Adobe Camera Raw was a nice summary of the plug-in's use, but seemed applicable to almost any type of photography, although it lacked the depth of comprehensive instruction. On the other hand, when the author turned to the tools of the main Photoshop program, he did not try to be comprehensive, but rather focused on those tools with specific application to architectural photography that one might not use for other genres. I was struck, however, by his disregard of such a simple tool as the use of perspective cropping.
The author recognizes that architectural photographers will probably want to use tools like high dynamic range imaging and panoramic stitching, and while he provides an introduction to these techniques, one will need to explore other materials to fully utilize them.
The book provides an excellent introduction to architectural photography. I only wish there had been a little more emphasis on the possible artistic elements of such images.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is how photography books should be written, November 14, 2009
This review is from: Architectural Photography: Composition, Capture, and Digital Image Processing (Paperback)
The work the author put into making this book is impressive. The book is very detailed, organized logically, and to the point. In short it's nearly a complete reference to architectural photography basics. That's something very hard to find in most photography books.
I bought this book because I am expanding into architectural photography and wanted to learn the basics. Doing photography professionally leaves no room for gaps in one's knowledge. This book answered all of my questions such as how to avoid converging lines, how far to stand back, the effect of different lenses, and much more.
One section that I particularly enjoyed was the equipment chapter. The author examined all types of camera systems and made the case for using Digital SLRs with tilt shift lenses over other more expensive options such as medium format and view cameras. I found that section of great value especially so because many photography books include equipment chapters as paper filler.
That being said at times I found the book a bit too basic or perhaps too short. I wish some topics were covered just a bit more. Also, interior photography was covered in less than 10 pages, which made that section practically useless. I wish those ten pages were dedicated for more discussion of the effects of light and time of the day in architectural photography for example.
Some people tell me I have an eye for putting together architectural elements into a picture. And that was the problem as I relied on my eye to get a sense of what looked right, but I didn't know exactly what I was doing. Now with the help of this book instead of moving the camera around searching for the best view I know what to expect when I move the camera. That makes the process much more predictable, quicker, and professional. I just wish there were landscape photography books like this book back when I was starting to learn four years ago. Certainly one of the best books I bought this year.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
